Monotheism, intolerance, and the path to pluralistic politics / Christopher A. Haw, University of Scranton.
"In a shrinking and globalizing world, with many conflicts stemming from religious and ideological differences, how are we to manage monotheism's potential for inspiring intolerant anti-pluralism?Discussions of monotheism's political consequences often emphasize either its intolerance of other gods...
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Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY, USA :
Cambridge University Press,
2021.
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Subjects: | |
Physical Description: | xiii, 272 pages ; 24 cm |
Format: | Book |
Summary: |
"In a shrinking and globalizing world, with many conflicts stemming from religious and ideological differences, how are we to manage monotheism's potential for inspiring intolerant anti-pluralism?Discussions of monotheism's political consequences often emphasize either its intolerance of other gods and religions as a source of bigotry and conflict, on the one hand, or emphasize monotheism as a source of pacific, universalistic tolerance on the other. But both approaches fail to see the combined danger and liberation in monotheism's "intolerance." I argue that monotheism's intolerance opens up historic potentials that are both crucial to pluralistic coexistence and dangerous: it helped dissolve the ancient link between God and the political sphere and deepened concern for the victims of politics while it also made possible a uniquely absolutist violence. By comparison, polytheistic "tolerance" does not make for a liberating vision of inclusion and diversity. To argue this, I construct an account of monotheism's intolerance-as a "refusal to divinize victims" and a prohibition of representing the Absolute-and its relevance to politics today, using the mimetic theory of René Girard, the monotheistic scholarship of Jan Assmann et al, and the social theory of Chantal Mouffe"-- Provided by publisher. |
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Call Number: | BL221 .H39 2021 |
Bibliography Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 252-269) and index. |
ISBN: | 9781108841306 1108841309 9781108810296 1108810292 |